How is each individual soul brought to maturity?

Each individual is perfect. 

Each soul is a ray of divinity―an unquenchable ray, which is capable of radiating eternally, but that ray is like a seed planted in the soil. 

It must follow the law of its evolution. 

It must disintegrate, and permit the living-principle to develop sufficiently―to uplift its earthly covering and permit its appearance in the sun. 

Even then it needs the soft rain and the warm, life-giving sun to bring it to maturity. 

It has always to struggle against the encroaching weeds, but it always follows its destiny and struggles to blossom and perfect itself in fruit―or flower.

Even when it drops again to earth and decays, it liberates its vital part and comes again to life in another form.

So each individual soul is brought to maturity through difficulties. 

The differences in earthly environment and opportunities do not make a great difference in the real development of the soul. 

Life on earth is very short. 

Each stage of development reached depends on the individual only and not on outward circumstances.

The very best work you can do on earth is to permit each little child to work out its own destiny. 

Give it only a few simple rules of virtue and honesty with the fundamental of Love God above all things, and your neighbour as yourself.

Love God above all things, and your neighbour as yourself contains the whole law.

If these are learned, there will be an ennobling and simplifying of life in all its expressions, and liberation of the spirit, fitting it better to leave its earthly environment in tranquil faith, ready to go on untrammelled in its future evolutions.

The most essential need is to understand God.